Convicted fraudster, Schabir Shaik, was on Tuesday let off with a warning and tightening of his parole restrictions after he was spotted shopping and driving around in contradiction of his earlier parole conditions on Sunday. Shaik was granted medical parole after serving only 28 months of a 15 year sentence in hospital prison after he successfully convinced the parole board that he was terminally ill with only "months to live".

Shaik has made media headlines before for allegedly playing golf and socialising at various upmarket restaurants despite being prohibited to do so according to parole conditions.

Under the new parole conditions Shaik will now be required to spend all his time under house arrest except for when he is allowed to leave for prayer meetings (up to 2 hours only).

Considering that Shaik has regularly been spotted in contravention of his medical parole - a parole that was granted under extremely suspicious circumstances to begin with - one can only but wonder if this special treatment would have been afforded to anyone else that was not so politically connected...